Quote:
Originally Posted by classhandicapper
I can't believe that anyone other than those with a short term economic interest in putting themselves above the integrity of the sport, welfare of the animals, and interests of horse players could be arguing for allowing any drugs except to treat horses out of training.
IMO the standards in racing should be HIGHER than for human beings because animals are not in a position to agree to compete while injured and drugged up, the integrity of the sport is critical to its popularity and ability to attract dollars, and the entire breeding industry (and thus owners) would be best served by buying and selling horses (and their offspring) who reputations were not drug enhanced.
This is a long term no brainer in every way. The problem is short term and self centered thinking.
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this!
horses could be switched from lasix to flair strips today if the concern is truly only to prevent bleeding--numerous high quality studies using BAL (which is the most definitive test for bleeding outside of autopsies--the only 100% definitive test for bleeding), have shown that FLAIR strips work as well as lasix, and they have no adverse side effects, except maybe the loss of a few hairs on the horse's nose when the strip is removed.
i disagree that lasix is making the horses more consistent. horses seem much less consistent today than they ever have in the past, tbh--the horses of the 1940s and 1950s ran many more times a year and had far more consistent results than the horses of today, and look at how frequently aussie horse run without lasix and yet seem pretty consistent. US horses today can run lights out in one race and then show up a few months later and lolly-gag all over the course coming in dead last for no apparent reason (coil anyone?).
maybe i'm just naive and all the horses in the US have always been doped (i am aware that in the 1930s many were hop-headed heroin addicts because horses on heroin will literally run until their hearts burst...but...even if that's true it doesn't change the fact that lasix without steroids is not producing consistency in anything other than career ending injuries, despite only racing in a minimal number of races a year).